The Third Bloody Valentine War: Rise of Zeon
by alphariuslau
Summary: The two Bloody Valentine Wars have come to an end, with peace a practical reality with the defeat of LOGOS and the Blue Cosmos. The three nations, once enemies have no set aside their differences to create a peacefule world. But Blue Cosmos is still out there and a threat far greater is on the rise. contains ideas and mobile suits from other series. ShihoxYzak
1. Prologue

**Prolouge**

_**It has been a time of relative peace, marked by the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War. The Blue Cosmos is shattered and hunted down relentlessly and the Earth Alliance, PLANTS, and the Orb Union have finally settled down after years of bloodshed to work towards a peaceful future for all.**_

_**Scarred by the war, the shattered countries try to rebuild and restart their lives, confident that the days of war are at an end. Yet appearances are deceiving, as every Natural and Coordinator is about to find out. It is not just the Blue Cosmos that lurk in the shadows that pose the greatest threat to the peace, but a force far more powerful has been lying in wait. A storm is coming, and no one even knows it.**_

**CE71**

**Asteroid base Praxium**

**Junius 7 debris field**

Praxium was just one of many asteroids flung out of a nearby asteroid belt that came to rest at the ruins of Junius 7 when collision with the dead colony forced it to stop. There wasn't anything extraordinary about it and its irregular shape did nothing to make it stand out from among the field of debris.

Converted to a base of operations for ZAFT intelligence, Consisting of long hallways lined by many rooms and a hangar, the structure of the base was unremarkable. For a few months, as ZAFT enjoyed military supremacy the base was relatively safe from attack. Then came Operation Spitbreak. From then on, things went downhill for ZAFT as they lost region after region before being driven off earth altogether. As OMNI pushed on to Aprillius One, the hammer of OMNI's military might fell on Praxium.

The constant trembling of the ceiling brought tiles onto the heads of the base's occupants, fuelling further panic with sirens wailing their baleful warning of the ongoing assault. Refugees and soldiers alike rushed to shelters and battle stations, the hallways becoming a miasma of colours as uniformed soldiers pushed through civilians wearing clothes of various colours fleeing in all directions.

Civilians huddled in the shelters, hoping that they would be safe and the invaders repulsed. The soldiers knew better than to let notions of salvation cloud their minds, but the situation demanded an immediate answer and so they spoke not a word of the inevitable end as they rushed to meet the incoming threat. There would be no relief, no hope of stopping this attack. The fate of the asteroid base was sealed the moment the attack started.

**CE71**

**Asteroid Base Praxium CIC**

**Junius 7 debris field**

"Keep trying damn it", the base commander roared at the communications officer as bright flashes from beyond the viewport lit the CIC. Though he knew that even the closest ZAFT patrol would not make it in time, someone had to know what had happened here. Happened... the commander thought bitterly as he thought on the past tense of the word. There really was no way they could survive, it was all a matter of time.

"Sir! Two more of our mobile suits have been destroyed", the radar operator shouted above the din of explosions rocking the base. The commander grimaced and growled. That left 5 more GINNs and GUAIZs. It was time.

"Start purging the base data! We can't let them get our intel", the commander shouted and the security officers entered the codes without question, years of training kicking in instantly. The fight was lost and everyone knew it, but they would be damned if they let Blue Cosmos get any information out of them.

The commander walked to the view port as he watched the last GINN drive its sword into the chest of a strike dagger and tore another apart with its 76mm machine gun. The resistance was short lived as a beam rifle shot from a strike dagger struck its chest, detonating the unit's reactor, and with it died the last hope of resistance.

Strike daggers flew straight into the defenceless hangar bay, securing it for transports filled with OMNI troops fanatical to the cause of Blue Cosmos. The troops disgorged from the landing ramp and charged the doors.

The first rank fell in a mist of blood as ZAFT troops at the door tried to contain and repel the invaders. For a minute, it looked possible. But as the casualties mounted, the OMNI troops were able to get to the doorway and force them to retreat down the hallway. As the invaders continued to land troops and spread further into the base, they were met with fierce resistance everywhere. Still, their numbers told and they had many to spare, the defenders didn't.

As they rounded a corner, an OMNI soldier appeared and raised his assault rifle, only to have a pistol round rip through his chest. The trooper's face twisted in agony as he fell. The commander cursed as more soldiers appeared behind, attracted by the gunfire. He had to get the boy out somehow, who knew what they would do to him.

As he ran, he cast a sidelong glance at the boy and his guilt worked up I'm his heart. He never truly approved the experimentation on him but he had orders, now he had a chance to make things right.

Distracted, he didn't see the three soldiers ahead of him until it was too late. The three OMNI troopers fired on full auto, rifle rounds speeding towards the two. The rounds never hit, the three troopers stood in shock as the bullets floated in mid-air as though time had stopped in front of the boy and his outstretched palm, before the boy flicked his wrist and the bullets continued their previously stalled velocity, in the opposite direction. The OMNI troopers spasmed and dropped as the rounds slammed into them.

The commander dragged the boy onwards, chased by more hostiles. Opening a blast door, he fired off at the encroaching invaders and led the boy to what appeared to be a life pod bay. A single lifepod dominated the room. It was the size of a GINN, larger than any other pod in the room and unlike its smaller brethren, it was specially made to travel great distances and had landing coordinates preset into the CPU. The boy had to get to the place, ZAFT was not safe. There was only one explanation for the OMNI incursion... someone on top had betrayed them.

With the war swinging in the Earth Alliance's favour, the fall of ZAFT would seal the boy's fate. Cruel as it was, he had to survive to continue the fight against the Blue Cosmos, but he would have the tools, he just needed to get to that safe haven set into the pod's CPU. Dodging bullets, the commander hurled the boy into the safety of the pod and tried to follow him through. A sharp pain made him gasp and collapse on the deck, the pain spreading from his right leg from a round. As he stared at the boy, he knew he wouldn't make it. The boy would have to soldier on alone. The commander pulled out his palm-sized tablet, initiating the launch sequence.

The pod's doors closed shut and 10 seconds later, fired away into space, evading its pursuers through the sacrifice of the commander, who pinned the enemy down long enough before bullets tore into his body. His last sight was the pod speeding away with what could well be ZAFT's last hope against Blue Cosmos, space debris masking it from radar and flying towards its destination, before his world faded to black.


	2. Chapter 1

**Italics are for thoughts (sometimes if I remember) and flashbacks**

**CE76 **

Commander Shiho Hahnenfuss walked through the corridors of the unit headquarters, returning the salutes of red and green uniformed personnel as she passed by.

Barely a few years back, she had been a redshirt as Yzak Joule's second in command, she had risen through the ranks and a few months of the war's end, she was promoted to a whiteshirt with her own command and further cemented her reputation as the Housenka as well as the squadron's own reputation for emerging victorious despite the odds against the Blue Cosmos remnants. The Housenka or Balsam squadron was well known alongside the Joule squadron as being ferocious and tactically astute. The flower painted on their machines instilled fear in the hearts of inexperienced insurgents and had resulted in the unconditional surrender of many an insurgent force more than once. Weaker willed Blue Cosmos recruits rarely had a stomach to take on elite squadrons like her's or Yzak's.

Turning her thoughts to the white haired commander, a smile came up as she thought about her former commander, now fellow commander in their division, and boyfriend of 2 years. She always had a crush on him but Yzak was just too pig-headed and she was his subordinate. But when the wars came to an end, Yzak finally came to his senses and asked her out the very day he pinned her commander's badge on her uniform. He could be a pain I'm the ass at times, but Yzak was never neglectful and always made time for her.

Speaking of which, her boyfriend was throwing one of his famous tantrums again,the recipient of his tirade being a red shirt who apparently had suggested a maneuver which Yzak thought was idiotic.

She sighed and went up to him as he finally finished and sent the poor red shirt packing.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to make people miserable?", asked Shiho. Her boyfriend whirled around to face her and that handsome face that never failed to amaze her increased her heartbeat. Yes, Yzak could be very impatient and just never seemed to relax, but Shiho knew better. Behind those blue eyes, there was fire for sure, but also a longing for peace. She hoped she would be the one to grant him that.

Yzak just growled at her, " l can't help it if he chooses to be an idiot can I?"

Shiho just laughed and gave him a kiss, which he returned.

"Don't forget our dinner date tonight", Shiho teased and Yzak fumed.

"I didn't forget you know. I had too much work the last time."

Shiho laughed and gave him a quick peck before the two left the building towards the division headquarters.

**CE76**

**4th Defence division headquarters**

**Aprilius One**

Shiho and Yzak were led into a conference room by a staff officer, who ushered them to their seats. Already seated were a significant number of white shirts, only a few of whom Shiho and Yzak knew.

Moments later, the division commander entered with his adjutant and took his seat. The quiet murmuring suddenly died down as the division commander prepared to address them.

"Commanders of 4th division", began the commander before pausing to ensure he had everyone's attention.

"You have been called here today concerning an assignment your respective squadrons have been given", said the commander.

The assembled men started murmuring once again in anticipation of this latest development before the commander silenced them with a raised hand.

"Three hours ago, I received a call from ZAFT Operations Command with orders from Chairwoman Clyne herself for your respective squadrons to leave for earth. During the recent summit between the PLANTs and earth, it was agreed that operations would be stepped up and coordinated. You will be stationed on bases along the axes of our borders with the Earth Alliance. As you all know, the Blue Cosmos still has armed forces capable of insurgent operations all over the world and are well-armed. At this point of time, we are still unable to pin down the location of their mobile suit manufacturing facilities and OMNI forces are a shadow of what they were before the war. OMNI is barely able to police its entire territory at this time and Blue Cosmos has been taking advantage of this."

The men tensed at his words, impatient to hear about their role in this deployment. The commander scanned the men seated around the table with his deeply-set eyes before resuming.

"Your task is to launch counterinsurgency operations within our borders to neutralize insurgent threats to actively prevent further attacks within and beyond our borders. OMNI forces will be launching their own operations in tandem with ours. We hope that raids by either side will permanently flush insurgent-held areas or drive remnants into the waiting jaws of the other. Many of these operations will be coordinated with OMNI in two pronged assaults between borders. Further details and orders are being sent to your units as we speak. I expect your utmost best, gentlemen. Don't fail."

The last two words were certainly not a request and his tone suggested it was also a warning. All assembled shot straight out of their chairs and saluted before their dismissal.

"Well I guess we'll need to have dinner together another day", muttered Shiho as they left.

Yzak:" who said anything about cancelling dinner? We're going."

Shiho:" But..."

Y:"Just because we can't eat out doesn't mean we can't eat together."

Shiho smiled, secretly happy that he was adamant about keeping his promise. Yzak was a stubborn rebel, but that wasn't always bad, especially when he usually had lots of work and you were his girlfriend.

**CE76**

Shiho and Yzak brought the sealed folders to his office after dinner, intending to look through their deployments together before briefing the men. As they looked through the documents, Yzak found that they were both to head for Central Europe, via Carpentaria. Looks like theirs would be a combined task force.

Shiho felt tears begin to form in her eyes as her mind was overwhelmed with memories of her deceased younger brother. Shiho was the first child and only daughter in her family, 7 years older than her brother Maddox.

During the war, Shiho's parents had brought Maddox to learn more about ZAFT on one of their political trips to Carpentaria and hopefully follow his sister's footsteps. Tragically, Maddox was caught up in the battle for the base during the first Bloody Valentine War and killed.

She remembered the day the news came to her as if it were yesterday. Distraught at the death of her brother, she got into an argument with her parents, blaming them as they sent him there in the first place to his death. She had never forgiven them for that and their relationship was still dicey. Tears now ran freely from her eyes as the pain of the losing her younger brother proved too much to bear.

_CE71_

_Aprilius One_

"_Its your fault! Maddox is one because of the two of you!", screamed Shiho. _

_She couldn't control herself. Her younger brother, barely old enough to make a decision for himself, was dead. All because her parents had decided to take him on their bureaucratic trip to earth. _

"_Shiho. Please stop. You're not helping. I know its hard but remember that we're his family too! We loved him and now he's gone.", said her father, voice barely loud enough to hear._

_Shiho: "Why did you have to bring him out there! Why are the two of you so stupid! We're at war and you bring him to the frontlines?! Have you lost your mind?!"_

_Shiho's father: "It wasn't exactly the frontline Shi..."_

_Shiho: "It was close enough!"_

_Shiho turned away from Maddox's parents, her parents, who had unwittingly killed their son."_

"_Shiho wait!", cried her mother, who had been quietly sobbing throughout the exchange._

_Shiho stopped and stood there for a few long moments. Then she turned around with the most murderous glare she had ever mustered._

_Shiho: "I don't know who you are. My parents would never endanger their own child as recklessly as you did. I don't ever want to see you again!"_

_With that, Shiho stormed out of the room, leaving behind her sobbing parents, who had now lost both their children_

Yzak continued to leaf through the deployment details, fully absorbed in the documents' contents. That was until a series of sniffing caught his attention. Yzak knew about Maddox. Placing the papers on the table, Yzak crossed over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Shiho instinctively buried her face in his chest as she cried.

Yzak just sat there and continued to hold her, muttering comforting words that could not alleviate her pain, simply to let her know that she still had him.

The two sat there for two more hours as she continued to cry. They would brief the men on what needed doing, but for now, the two stayed there, uncaring of the world going by.

**CE76**

**Eastern Europe**

**Poland**

The heavy footfalls of the three mobile suits would have alerted anyone and brought an entire unit down on them. Thankfully no one lived in these parts of the nation. Forests filled with tall coniferous trees that stretched far and wide along the Polish Jura Chain.

A week ago, Blue Cosmos agents masquerading as a geological survey team had found a giant cave entrance into one of the mountains while searching for possible hideouts from which to launch insurgent attacks. What surprised them more was the detection of a heat source on their instruments, possibly emitted by a geothermal power source.

The Warsaw cell had decided to further divide its forces to spread its influence further and so Lieutenant Justin Wzasky had been assigned to sneak three mobile suits from an underground garage to check out the place.

It had been a long ride aboard the flatbed trucks transporting their tarpaulin covered mobile suits. Lt Justin hoped the place checked out. If the agents were right, they'd have a new base with its own power source. He imagined proper facilities such as mobile suit production facilities and the like, giving them further power to strike back at the coordinators, the enemies of mankind.

The coordinators categorized humankind into coordinators and naturals as if they were human! It was an insult. Those abominations were an affront to all humanity and had no right to live. The earth was meant for humans and only humans, naturally born humans. Period.

Lt Justin raged at the world's acceptance of coordinators as he moved his Windam inside the cave, his two Dagger L wingmen following suit. Now Naturals were accepting coordinators all over the world, including the Atlantic Federation! Didn't they understand? It was every Natural's duty to wage holy war against those abominations. Nothing short of their extinction would suffice and so Naturals had to conduct a war of genocide. It was the call of the righteous. Lt Justin advanced past 14km down the cave, the feet of the three mobile suits slammed down on the ground, driven by motors that placed their machines weight by the tonnes sent tremors through the ground. The shock waves travelled through the ground in all directions for kilometers around, the reverberations reaching a tiny black box under the ground. The seismic activity triggered an electrical response from the device, current flowing through its circuits as it activated hidden cameras and sent out a signal.

**CE76**

**Unknown location**

Deep down in a faraway subterranean location, the signal from the seismic detector reached a control terminal in a facility. The facility was part of a large city-size base that had lain dormant like a city of the dead, soulless, lifeless. Suddenly, generators started up and the base came to life. Lights and computers came online, factories started automated subroutines to prepare for weapons production. Within the control room, a single human was present, suspended in amniotic fluid since he was interred into the stasis tank. The boy jolted from slumber, suddenly aware of himself and his surroundings as stimulants jabbed into his body took effect. Something had triggered the system to wake him. He closed his eyes as his brain connected with the supercomputer and the base's network, interfacing and integrating him into the system through the cables attached to his brain. Rows of binary data flowed down the screen two meters ahead of the tank. The boy looked to the screen, a blinking alert notification catching his attention. Blinking his eyes once, the alert was selected by the action, neural interface sending the signal from his brain to the system and bringing up a map of Eastern Europe before zooming in to an isolated location of Poland. Selecting a small chart at the top left-hand corner with the blink of his eyes, it enlarged to fill the screen, presenting its seismic activity data. A series of high and irregular spikes caught his attention. Something was moving down there. Blinking his eyes again, he selected square icon which appeared to be video footage of the intruders He brought the camera footage of the three mobile suits to the fore of the screen in front and played it. The boy's eyes narrowed, he didn't recognize them and the database had no record of such models. Yet they bore similarities to strike daggers. That meant they were most probably OMNI mobile suits and thus by default Blue Cosmos.

Warily, the boy activated the Polish base's defensive units to identify the three unknowns.

**CE76**

**34km below ground**

**Polish Jura Chain**

Lt Justin was still raging half and hour later when he was distracted from his reverie.

"Lieutenant. I'm picking up faint heat signatures further down, about two clicks out", a deep set voice reported.

Justin wasn't surprised, although it was a miracle that Danny had managed to pick them up at all through the mist and humidity of the cave.

Lt Justin:" Its probably just the geysers Danny. Keep going."

Danny:" I thought there was only one?"

Lt J:" Spooks probably didn't understand the difference between plural and single."

The team pressed on deeper into the cave towards the heat sources. As they approached what seemed to be an intersection, Lt Justin raised his suit's shield arm and the team stopped. Justin scanned the intersection. Three circular tunnels, one left, one right and one ahead made up the intersection.

D:"Which way boss?"

"Or should we split up?", suggested Carlyle.

Lt J:" Wait"

Something about the intersection disturbed him. It was normal for such formations to exist in mountains but his veteran combat senses nagged at him. Being a veteran of both wars, Justin knew better than to ignore his combat senses.

Then, it hit him. The tunnels were perfectly rounded without a single trace of deformity and the ground was completely flat. No stalagmites hung from the ceilings, neither was there any stones or bumps marring the surface of the ground. These tunnels weren't natural, they were man-made.

Lt J:" Its man-made!"

D:"What?!"

Lt J:" Its man-made. The tunnels are perfectly round and the ground is flat."

C:" Erm lieutenant?"

Lt J:" What?"

C:" The heat signatures... they're...th... they're...m...moving.

Justin and Danny's heads snapped to their radars, cursing themselves for being distracted. Sure enough, the heat signatures, now stronger radar returns, were moving. Towards them.

Justin eyes widened in panic before combat instincts took over.

Lt J:"Squad, ready weapons."

The three pilots levelled their beam rifles and shields. Justin's eyes alternated between the radar and the suit's visuals. The contacts crept on closer, undaunted. The mist wasn't helping visual sight much and the pilots steeled themselves.

Then, more contacts appeared on radar, from the left tunnel. Before Justin could react, the right tunnel was also filled with radar contacts.

D:" Boss?"

Lt J:" I know... I .."

More contacts appeared behind those coming ahead of them. Justin's jaw dropped. They were outnumbered... almost twelve to one.

J:" Fall back! We"ll take up defensive positions outside the cave and await reinforcements!"

As the three turned to run, contacts appeared... behind them. The team froze, they were trapped. Turning his suit around, Justin saw the first of the contacts enter visual range. The first one he saw had a rather humanoid appearance to it. The head resembled a man with a gas mask but had no eyes. Instead, a yellow vertical rectangular lens filled the area of where the eyes and nose of a normal mobile suit would be. Its arms held a rifle of some sort pointed at them.

Other mobile suits resolved through the mist. Some like the zaku warrior and dom, Justin recognized. Others were completely foreign or were variations of known mobile suits like the zaku and dom.

To the left, beefed-up versions of the zaku marched towards them. On the right, strike daggers, mono-eyed mobile suits with scoped beam rifles and large oval shields, along with what appeared to be mobile suit designs influenced by the strike dagger, armed with an assortment of pistol-sized guns to rifles complemented with shields.

J:" Halt! Or we'll fire!"

If the pilots heard the warning, they showed no sign.

The team fired in all three directions, but the hostiles dodged the shots, which sped on towards mobile suits at the rear resembling beefed-up versions of the first model Justin saw.

The said mobile suits each released three discs that formed a beam shield in front and absorbed the shots.

The mobile suits in the front opened fire, bullets and beam shots fired in overwhelming force. The three suits took the brunt of the fire on their shields. Suddenly, Carlyle cried out as his suit's knee was blasted by a beam shot from one of the beefed up zakus. As he raised his rifle, the first mobile suit type fired its machine gun. Bullets riddled Carlyle's suit's torso. Carlyle's scream was cut off as his dagger l exploded.

Justin cursed and squeezed off a shot at his killer, which blew up as his shot hit centre-mass. Danny was next to go. As he finished off a strike dagger and turned his attention front, a dom variant with two long panes jutting at a 50 degree angle from its backpack fired its machine gun straight into Danny's cockpit. Danny's dagger fell with a smoking hole in it's chest.

Justin roared as he fired. Two more shots and his windam's hip was hit from a squat looking zaku with a long machine gun and a zaku warrior which was oddly using a machine gun which looked exactly like the zaku's original beam rifle.

Justin's windam crashed to the ground, and he struggled to get up. A heavy foot slammed his suit back down with jaw jarring impact and Justin opened his eyes to see the zaku warrior staring at him.

Despite having fought against ZAFT's zaku suits before, Justin had never feared their physical appearance when he had faced them down in battle. He did now as he stared at the red mono-eye staring him down. It looked like a hungry ogre about to devour its human prey. Justin moved the windam's arm to shoot it.

The zaku caught the movement and calmly raised its machine gun at Justin's cockpit. The last thing lieutenant Justin Wzasky saw was the bright flash of the zaku's machine gun.

**CE76**

**Unknown location**

The boy's eyes slid left and the reports the Polish base personnel had sent concerning the mobile suit intruders shifted out of sight from the screen. Two of them had been salvaged for analysis, albeit with little gleaned from the wrecked cockpits. But what they had gathered was enough to paint a picture. Access into data fragments from the operating systems had revealed the two models as the Earth Alliance dagger l and the Windam, both confirming his suspicions about their country of origin. Audio logs had also confirmed the pilots to be from Blue Cosmos.

The boy closed his eyes as he established connection with a satellite, browsing through the internet, news channels and archives for information regarding the world's position. Articles and footage of the end of not one but two wars came up, all of which corroborated to form a picture of a world moving towards peace, the banishment of Blue Cosmos from the Earth Alliance, its military power base and the defeat of Blue Cosmos and LOGOS.

The boy narrowed his eyes and growled, the action sending air bubbles from the sides of his rebreather mask to the top of the tank. His merger with the facility's supercomputer and its network had familiarized him with all the different scenarios and possibilities. He scoffed. These news articles and footage were obviously part of Blue Cosmos's misinformation programme meant to lure him out of hiding into the waiting jaws of Blue Cosmos.

The time had come. The boy went through the different scenario command protocols and activated the one he was looking for. The Blue Cosmos had discovered the Polish base and that meant they were aware or would soon be aware that ZAFT had a fail safe to secure final victory despite its fall. On the screen in front of the tank, the command was confirmed and lights on geographical locations around the world, in space and on Mars lit up as their bases started up like this one and began automated and manual preparations for war. Supercomputers fired up and initiated command protocols on each base, activating defense and weapons production routines. Ships began shakedown cycles to prepare for war as robot drones loaded supplies and ammunition aboard.

Base personnel contained within life-preserving stasis pods awoke as cryostasis fields were deactivated. No one asked questions about why they had been woken as they washed up in cubicles and made for pre assigned stations. There was only one answer. Wargame scenario Red storm Alpha-552 was in play.


	3. Chapter 2

Chap 2

**CE76**

**Cape York Peninsula**

**4km from ZAFT Carpentaria Base**

The night sky above Carpentaria dazzled with the twinkle of distant stars. Some shined brighter than others. But if one looked carefully, they would find that some of them weren't stars at all. Lower and brighter than the rest, the false stars descended to the earth like mythical deities. Though not gods or mythical creatures, the false stars were the signature of giant avatars of war, called upon to bring judgement upon the earth.

Shiho engaged her thrusters as the distance between her blaze Zaku Phantom and the hard ground of earth closed. Twenty seconds later, her Zaku touched down bending its knees. The impact of the landing absorbed, Shiho stood her Zaku upright and looked to the sky, where the rest of the Housenka and Joule squadrons were beginning to land.

Carpentaria... thought Shiho as her mind drifted to thoughts of her younger brother. Shiho had never set foot on any of the lands in the Gulf of Carpentaria before. Her previous missions during the South American Independence War had her dropping from orbit straight into action. The place looked serene, beautiful even. If the desert knew just how many and whose lives they had seen ended on its sands, it gave no indication. No sounds of war or screams of the dying echoed through time to tell her what the place was like when Maddox was here. Worst of all, it gave no sign of Maddox's body or his resting place.

Shiho turned her thoughts away as the last Zaku landed rather clumsily.

"And you're supposed to be my most veteran member and second-in-command", growled Yzak.

"Hey! I haven't been to earth in years, give me a break will you?", retorted the blonde soldier.

Shiho shook her head and moved her suit forward towards the line of CAV apc escorts leading them to the base as the two continued their bickering.

Parking their Zakus in the hangars, Shiho and Yzak got out and strode over to two men waiting just outside.

"Captains Yzak Joule and Shiho Hahnenfuss, sir", reported Yzak as the two commanders saluted the general.

"General Klaiden, Carpentaria main base commandant. All the supplies are already aboard the carrier. We'll load up your suits onto the aircraft first thing tomorrow."

The two commanders saluted and left to see to their men. Tomorrow, they would fly off to the war in Central Europe.

**CE76 **

**Unknown subterranean facility**

**Mars**

Three days ago, the facilities of Mars awoke as one to the activation signal. Wargame Scenario Red Storm Alpha-522 had been activated. The scenario is simple as it is daunting. ZAFT has fallen and the entirety of earth (including neutral nations that have most likely been annexed) lies in the hands of the Earth Federation and thus by extension, Blue Cosmos. Enemy troops have discovered the existence of at least one of the secret bases, and thus the enemy now knows that ZAFT has a fail safe to defeat Blue Cosmos. The enemy's course of action is inevitable. All forces, combat and support facilities are activated to prepare for the invasion of earth. The offensive will be two-pronged with surface units supported by space fleets in orbit, providing mutual support for the destruction of enemy forces on the earth and in space. The invasion will commence as soon as both land and space fleets are in position. Space fleets will engage and destroy the enemy's fleets and space combat and support facilities. Land, air and sea units will make a simultaneous invasion on all fronts, within and without, stretching the enemy's lines to the limit. All enemy nations and territories(owned or annexed) are to be attacked simultaneously. Neutral and previously ZAFT-allied nations are to be liberated ASAP. Conditions for victory are as follows:

1) Destruction/ Unconditional capitulation of all enemy forces.

2) Unconditional capitulation/Dissolution of all current political governments, social and civil services constituting the Earth Alliance and its constituent nations.

3) The establishment of provisional governments, social and civil services headed by specifically chosen leadership personnel according to either civil or military rule of captured Earth Alliance territories.

4) The unconditional and absolute disbandment of the Blue Cosmos political party, its subordinate parties, and all allied parties or patrons.

5) The unconditional dissolution of any Blue Cosmos influence, parties, civil or social services in all nations and territories.

6) Blue Cosmos personnel or personnel under third party organizations, cells or factions are to cease all activities.

7) The arrest and trial of all Blue Cosmos leaders/appointment holders and members accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity.

8) The liberation of all previously neutral and ZAFT-allied nations. Said nations are to have their previous governments and annexed territories restored. Reparations are to be made to said countries for damage caused and loss of life suffered during annexation or liberation by responsible parties.

Failure of any these objectives to be satisfied will result in resumption of hostilities.

Should conventional warfare fail to bring the enemy to heel and carry out these terms/Total collapse of all military forces in the face of enemy military might/Permanent stalemate on all fronts, use of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction is authorized to regain the initiative and prevent global supremacy of Blue Cosmos forces.

**CE76**

**Unknown subterranean facility**

**Mars**

The bases on Mars were first pioneered during the period of peace the Junius 7 treaty brought. From bases at the bottom of the seas at both polar regions, stealth transport ships had left earth as part of the colonization plan. Cloaked from radar and even visual sight, the ships had passed through gaps in the Earth Alliance's and inadvertently ZAFT's radars, heading for asteroid belts and Mars.

These ships were filled with men, materials, robotic servitors, automated drilling and digging rigs. Life support outside of the ship during the first phases of the colonization programme was impossible, and so the ships were self-sustaining with water and air recycling facilities as well as farms for food to sustain the human crew until the bases were sealed from the environment of Mars with proper life support. Upon reaching their destinations, digging and drilling rigs had paved the way for the huge underground bases scattered all over Mars and within asteroid belts. Once the bases had manufacturing facilities, more automated rigs had been been built to harvest Mars' undiscovered resources and build more bases. The process was repeated with the new bases, resulting in rapid base multiplication. The asteroid belt bases were built around the same strategy, albeit in a shorter time.

Warships tens of kilometers below the surface of Mars are fuelled and loaded with supplies and ammunition. Their crews run checks to ensure the ships are ready to launch, fighter and mobile suit pilots test their weapons platforms for anomalies before loading them into the hangars of ships. Automated weapons are checked dutifully by technicians and scientists.

The forces on Mars are the elite of the space fleets. Their ships and mobile suits are different from standard models, modified for increased performance. RF-series mobile suits line the hangars of the base and ships. All are modified from standard designs. RF Zakus, RF Doms, RF Goufs, RF Gelgoogs, RF Adzam mobile armours, RF Rick Doms, RF Gelgoog Charles Rochester Customs for the special forces, and RF Z'goks.

No effort is left unspared in the short time that they have to prepare for the coming war. Within hours, they will be ready to launch for the invasion of earth.

**CE76**

**Asteroid belts**

**Sol solar system**

Dangerous to travel in, innocent from prying eyes, the asteroid belt bases hold a dangerous secret. Warships are fuelled, loaded and ready to launch. Like the Mars forces, the asteroid space fleets received the call to war three days ago. All preparations had been hastily, but meticulously and carefully made. Soon the fleet would launch and set its course towards earth, where it would disgorge its complement of fighters and mobile suits to crush the enemy forces. Standard space fleets that made up the backbone of the space forces of the invasion army, they were nevertheless well prepared for the coming war. Mobile suits and armour of every design that had been produced lined the hangars of ships, waiting to unleash hell. Zaku 1 to 3s, Geara Dogas, Geara Zulus, Gelgoogs, RGM-79 GM 1, to 3s, GM Balls, Jegans, Zudahs, Goufs, Doms, Rick Doms 1 and 2s, Tieren space types, Hellions, Enacts, Realdos, Flags, Overflags, Gn-Xs, Javelins, Jamesguns, Heavyguns, Zollidas, Zolos, Zoloats, Tomliats, Taurus', Leos, Serpents, Virgos 1 and 2, Daughtress', Daughtress Neos, Balients, Jenices, Croudas, Dwadges, Marasais, Hizacks, Dreissens, Galluss', Dra-Cs, Doven Wolves, Goblins, Efreets, Tragos', Bigros, Estardoths, Pyrons, Gaza-Ds, ZAFT and OMNI mobile suits from the first war. Variants of each kind were included including cannon, close combat, artillery, and desert types. The majority of the suits meant for orbital drops are stored in transport ships.

The almost complete lack of maritime and several atmospheric aerial units such as Aires', DINNs, Z'goks, Acguys, GOOHNs, ZnOs, Piesces, Cancers, Deep Forbiddens, Blue Forbiddens, and marine mobile suit variants, save for the RF-Z'goks was due to their presence and production on earth.

On earth, the same preparations were made for every weapon to be used in the coming conflict on the land, air, and sea.

Four separated forces united by one purpose and one flag that brought them all under one cause.

The armed forces of the Earth Zeon, Neo Zeon, Axis Zeon and Mars Zeon were ready for war, all that was needed was the order. As soon as everything was ready, the signal was given, sent by the highest authority himself on earth.

On the surface of Mars, the peaceful serenity of the dead planet was broken by the opening of giant launch pads. All over the planet, huge acres of land opened up like the mouths of giants, revealing the hidden threat that had lurked beneath for years. From a telescopic point of view, the red surface of Mars was suddenly marred by black spots, as though the planet was being eaten from the inside out.

Klaxons blared as the warships started their engines and blasted off into space. Hundreds of ships filled the Martian sky with the glow of their engines and their contrails.

The asteroid bases opened the giant blast doors of their ship hangars and slowly, the warships of the asteroid belt fleet emerged and moved out of the asteroid belt. Setting off days later than the Zeon Martian fleet, the asteroid fleets would rendezvous with them at a pre-designated location away from prying eyes. From there, they would travel a path that would avoid enemy patrols and lead them to earth. The satellites orbiting earth would easily pick up a fleet of such great magnitude, but a plan was already in motion to blind the eyes of the Earth Alliance. They would almost have no warning until it was too late.

The earth would be engulfed in the flames of war once more. Its inhabitants just didn't know it yet.


	4. Chapter 3

Chap 3

**CE76**

**OMNI military base**

**Rhineland**

**Germany**

Yzak signed off another few papers irritably as maintenance crews made final checks on their machines. After their arrival at an airbase in the Rhineland region, the ZAFT pilots had walked their machines straight into an adjoining army base. There, they had been greeted by a stout Atlantic Federation Brigadier-General and shown to their quarters before a briefing.

A meet-and-greet session had then introduced the ZAFT pilots to their OMNI counterparts of the 904th Independent Tactical Air Squadron and the 601st Mobile Suit Squadron. Nice bunch of fellows, but the question was did they have the skill?

Here in the vast expanses of the Rhineland region, insurgents were present in force, enough to take on the OMNI forces here and capture European territories stretching from Germany all the way down to the United Kingdom. The only reason why they hadn't was they'd be spread thin and vulnerable to a counterattack by any of the the three Earth Alliance superstates.

Blue Cosmos sure had a lot of support even after all that had happened. Apparently, genetics was too hard to ignore for some.

Yzak stared at the vast land that constituted a region that shared by many different territories. He could already imagine an all out conventional war playing itself out on its vast expanses. Mobile suits, men, tanks and aircraft on both sides coming together in one titanic clash to decide the fate of Western and Central Europe.

That was highly unlikely however. Blue Cosmos would probably reserve its strength and play out a war of attrition using insurgent and propaganda tactics to turn the people against the Earth Alliance. They had already proved themselves daredevils, blatantly attacking bases across Europe in force.

Still, operations from neighbouring Belgium, France and Switzerland would strangle their hold on Europe and hopefully cut them off for the final blow. All around the world, operations were planned to do just that.

Turning to look at his GOUF Ignited one last time, he headed towards the headquarters, ready to play his part in the coming offensive.

**CE76**

**OMNI military base headquarters **

**Rhineland**

**Germany**

Shiho Hahnenfuss took a seat beside Yzak at the commanders' row. So close yet so far, Shiho could barely resist touching him or planting a quick kiss on his cheek, but she had to keep their professional image clean. Yzak looked and mouthed the three words and she smiled and nodded.

If the two had any plans to continue expressing their love for one another, they were put on hold as Brigadier-General Heinrich walked in and the men snapped to attention.

"At ease", boomed Heinrich and the men sat down.

BG Heinrich:" Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we begin a monumental day in history. In 12 hours time, combined OMNI and ZAFT forces will begin offensive operations all over the world to take the fight to the Blue Cosmos insurgents. Far too long have we been kept on the back foot while Blue Cosmos harasses the world virtually unchecked. Tomorrow that ends. Its time to put an end to the madness they started and make safe our homes."

The men beamed with pride and excitement, well aware of the historic endeavour they were about to partake in.

Brigadier-General Heinrich continued, "A few days ago, we had a tip-off about mobile suit sightings somewhere near Cologne. After some investigation and a stake-out, reconnaissance teams have found out that insurgents are hiding in a forest here with as many as twenty mobile suits." Given that they haven't left, they're definitely planning something big and audacious. The 904th will take up overwatch positions near the forest while the ZAFT squadrons and elements of the 601st will close in on them from your insertion point 10km from the target area. The rest of the 601st will act as a reserve and hot-drop in to catch the insurgents in a pincer maneuver. Questions?"

There were none. 

**CE76**

**50km from Cologne**

**Rhineland**

**Germany**

Shiho watched the ramp open and the forest canopy almost appeared as a giant black mass, closer than she liked. She had never hot-dropped out of a low-level aircraft in the wee hours of the morning before. Her cockpit rumbled as the plane flew on to the insertion point, ready to disgorge its deadly occupants to the ground.

The light at the corners of the cargo bay were still red, signalling that it was too soon to jump.

Shiho:" All Housenkas, status report."

Green acknowledgements lights flicked on across her HUD display.

Shiho:"Give me another when you guys hit the ground".

The lights flashed amber, and Shiho tenses, her actions mirrored in her suit's posture, ready to jump out. The countdown timer flashed on her screen. Twenty seconds.

When the countdown hit zero, The cargo bay lights turned green and Shiho jumped out, thrusters engaged to slow her descent and legs slightly bent forwards. Her suit landed with a heavy crash and Shiho immediately pulled her Blaze Zaku Phantom upright, Beam rifle braced against the shoulder, mono eye strafing left and right with her rifle for targets.

The Housenka and Joule squadrons landed, status reports hastily sounded off. Shiho looked at Yzak's GOUF, which raised a thumbs-up. Shiho signalled her team and the strike force crept forwards through the forest. The forest was dense, a perfect place for an ambush and so the ZAFT teams warily eyed the forest for any sign of the enemy. Darkness crept over them, masking their suits in shadow, save for their pink mono eyes searching for their prey.

High above them, the 904th Independent Tactical Air squadron circled like vultures. Captain Johann Gunther twisted the controls of his a Jet Windam as he watched his infrared view of the forest below. Other than the ZAFT squadrons, there was no sign of the insurgents. They had probably turned off their engines and pumped up their coolant to nullify their heat signatures. Frustrated, he switched over to night vision and took a glance at his squadron of Jet Windams. Veterans one and all of the Bloody Valentine Wars, from the recapture of Victoria to the grinding battles of attrition at Jachin Due and the messiah.

His squadron had seen men at their best and worst during the wars. Heroes and genocidal maniacs made in the fires and horrors of war. Johann could never understand the justification for Blue Cosmos hatred and genocidal attitude towards coordinators. All he saw was the madness they had added to an already horrific war, as if the body count built up during the grinding battles weren't enough. Now the world had a chance for peace again, and Johann hoped that it would be final this time round.

Pushing his thoughts aside, Captain Johann brought his focus back to providing overwatch for the ground troops below.

Yzak was starting to get very annoyed. There was still no sign of the insurgents. Yzak panned his GOUF mono-eye left and right. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary arou... There!

Yzak:" All units hold."

The others seemed to have caught on as more than a few took aim at the powered down Windam partially visible in the clearing ahead. As they took up positions at the tree line, the rest of the insurgent force came into view.

Yzak scanned the opposition. 7 Windams, 8 Dagger Ls and 6 strike daggers high kneeling, the majority partially hidden by trees and shrubbery. In addition several civilian vehicles sat there, men sleeping within them, all except three, who woke up to the sound of approaching mobile suits. They stared dumbstruck at the many pink mono eyes observing them before realizing what was happening. The three raised the alarm and went for their weapons, alerting the entire force.

The insurgent mobile suits started up and turned to meet the threat or run for cover. Yzak cursed and opened fire at a strike dagger. The others didn't need to be told what to do and fired as well.

The strike dagger caught the Yzaks beam machine gun bolts on its shield. Not designed to withstand such high powered weaponry, the shield was torn apart and the remainder of the beams blew off the arm holding it. Staggering back under the force of the impact, the strike dagger fired a shot that went wild and hit a tree instead. Yzak let off another burst that detonated its reactor, lighting up the area.

Dearka speared a Dagger l with a beam rifle shot while Shiho ignited the reactor of another with her own shot. Two of the civie vehicles were already burning hulks beside mangled bodies as the two sides traded furious shots. Yzak growled at the loss of the element of surprise as he fired and radioed the 904th.

Johann saw the explosion before anyone else did. Then the ground at a patch exploded in a beam slugging match.

"Spectre one, multiple hostile contacts at delta two sierra. Engaging now", came Yzak's voice over the radio.

" You do know that you're supposed to radio me before you engage the enemy do you?", sighed Johann.

Yzak:" They heard us, didn't have time. We could use some air support at the tree line right now."

Johann:" Understood. Mark enemy position. Eta 1 minute"

Y:" Marking"

Johann keyed his squadron's frequency before issuing his attack orders.

Johann:" Spectre one to Spectre Actual, hostile contact against marked tree line. Air strike confirmed. Engage."

Johann's squadron dived towards the ground, target recticles falling towards a tree line marked by a laser designator. 20 seconds later, Johann releases two missiles from his striker pack, followed by eighteen more. The missiles slammed into the tree line with explosive force, destroying and damaging several mobile suits. 

**CE76**

**62 km from Cologne**

**Rhineland**

**Germany**

Shiho fired off a volley of fire bee missiles, blasting the head and hands off a strike dagger before placing a beam rifle shot through a windam. Then the air strike hit, and several hostile suits perished along with any infantry they had.

Firing off a quick volley at their assailants above, the insurgent suits retreated. Johann and his squadron landed and gave chase, firing as they went.

Shiho:" Yzak go right! I'll take the left!"

Yzak didn't need to ask what she had planned. Using their superior speed, the two ZAFT forces caught up with the insurgents on their flanks and made harassing shots. Now the insurgents were caught on three sides and fired more frequently to discourage pursuit. Running all the way in an attempt to break away from the encirclement. 

**CE76**

**72km from Cologne**

**Rhineland**

**Germany**

Captain Klaus von Lichtenstein kept his Windam low,like the rest of his squadron. When news of Yzak's engagement and the enemy's subsequent retreat reached his ears, Klaus had positioned his men right in their path and high kneeled to prevent detection. Klaus growled, impatient to engage and settle the score. During the Second Bloody Valentine War, his coordinator wife had suffered a brutal beating and near rape at the hands of a Blue Cosmos incited mob and the local Blue Cosmos orator. She survived, but their unborn child did not and her injuries prevented her from bearing any more.

Unknown to all save his squadron and family, Klaus had hunted the man down in his villa and dragged his broken body to the cellar, where he had first tortured the man for several days before killing him. His death had been written off as just another casualty of the anti-LOGOS riots. He remembered those days very clearly. How he had slowly cut and ripped off the bastard's skin as he screamed. He had begged, oh yes he did. But Klaus didn't care, he had lost his child and his wife lay in a hospital bed. After that he had set his lower body on fire before nailing his skull with a nail gun and smashing his skull to an unrecognizable pulp with a hammer. His squadron, never having taken a liking to Blue Cosmos had simply turned a blind eye and kept quiet about it. When one of them had found out the guy was dead and Klaus had been alone, he had simply said "Good. No witnesses means no crime."

He could see them now and he let a feral grin spread to his face.

"Fire", Klaus commanded. Beam rifle shots flared out at insurgents from the front. Stabbing torsos and heads. The insurgent suits were blown apart or knocked over for good. Within the space of twenty two minutes, the entire insurgent force had been defeated.


	5. Chapter 4

Chap 4

**Siberian Plains**

**Russia**

**Republic of East Asia**

Lt Simmons mutters a curse under his breath as the storm reduces visibility, forcing him to switch on his headlights to pierce the gloom. All around him his squad does the same. A rag tag bunch of cutthroats out for coordinator blood, they weren't ideal soldiers but they would have to do. Earlier during the day, they had passed by a youthful villager who stared at the giant mobile suits. Simmons had decided against killing him as it was a waste of ammunition and time. What is supposed to be a cakewalk mission turns into a nightmare as his squad is lost. How hard could destroying an isolated and abandoned power plant be? Very hard apparently, when a snowstorm happens to occur on your way.

"Great! We're lost!", mutters Sgt Pavlov on the radio.

"We'all find our way.", Lt Simmons assures him even though he himself doesn't believe it.

A blip appears on his radar for as split second and then disappears.

Lt S:" Did you see anything on radar?"

Sgt P:" Nope. Phantom contact?"

Storms were known to mess with radars especially if enough interference was kicked up.

Lt S:" Maybe. Let's keep moving."

Three steps forward and suddenly the radar was screaming with contacts.

Lt P:" heads up! Multiple contacts closing in fast!"

The squad readies their weapons, headlights trying to pierce the dense storm. Then, Simmons sees them.

Mobile suits on snowboards with thrusters charge straight at them. They have visors that make them seem to be wearing goggles and have long blade-like objects spreading to the left and right of the head like a moustache.

The weird mobile suits open fire, beam machine guns tearing one of Simmon's Dagger's legs and arms with unerring accuracy while the rest take the blows on their shields.

Simmons and his men return fire at the hostile machines, but they dodge their shots easily as though a preternatural sense guides them.

Then they are behind them. As Simmons men turn with shields raised to block the shots as they pass by, one of them draws its beam saber and crouches on its board.

One of Simmons squad, a greenhorn who has never seen action, has his legs sliced off as the hostile mobile suit speeds by.

No on else sees it, but Simmons does. As the beam saber passes a little more than a third through the Dagger's leg, the hostile suit stands up and sweeps the saber upward, amputating the Dagger, twisting its upper torso to face the Dagger as its saber just passes clean through its legs. But the strange suit doesn't just stop there. Right after the hostile brings its saber up and before the speed and momentum of its snowboard takes it right past, it twists its wrist backwards and simultaneously brings its saber down in a backward slash.

The action dismembers the Dagger's gun arm before the handicapped mobile suit has even hit the ground. The entire scene from the time the hostile's saber makes contact with the Dagger's leg to the time it slices of the gun arm has taken place in just over 2 seconds. It wasn't humanly possible, certainly not with human reflexes and even more so while speeding on a snowboard with thrusters.

"Close up! Don't give them space to maneuver past your guard!", yelled Simmons.

Firing at the enemy turning about, the Daggers run towards their commander in as a desperate attempt to defend themselves. One of the suits veers off to a nearby slope of a cliff wall. To Simmons astoundment, the suit launches up into the air and turns the board to face the ground as it descends from the apex of its upward ride.

The enemy suit fires its beam machine gun in the split second after it finishes its turn downwards. Another Dagger is hit. Its head exploding in a fiery ball of flame, followed by its right arm and leg. Simmons sees the pattern, the enemy suits want them alive.

Lt S:" protect your limbs and heads! They want us alive!"

Sgt P:" This is madness!"

Back to back, the last two of the squad defend each other's backs and return fire. Every time they have a lock-on and fire, the enemy mobile suits throw off their locks and their shots go wild.

Then, Pavlov's gun is hit by a hostile coming straight at him from his right. By the time Pavlov registers the lock, the hostile fires and destroys his gun in a fiery explosion. The ball of fire fills his view screen and Sergeant Pavlov turns his head away from the bright explosion out of pure instinct. It is a huge mistake. The hostile continues charging at him, and barrels off its snowboard at him. The impact slams the sergeant's Dagger to the ground. As soon as it lands on top of Pavlov, it punches its arm straight into the cockpit and plucks the screaming Pavlov from his cockpit.

Lt Simmons is next as another mobile suit bats his gun out of his Windam's hand and slams its shoulder into him, sending his Windam flying for tens of meters before it hits the ground. By the time Lt Simmons recovers from the impact, the hostile suit has torn his cockpit hatch open and pulls him out. Unceremoniously dumped into a prison cage of sorts hung on its side, Lt Simmons can only watch helplessly at his men imprisoned in similar cages as the enemy suits grab their incapacitated mobile suits and drag them across the Siberian Plains. Then the mobile suits abruptly stop and look into the distance. Drawing their weapons, 5 of them give their cages to the rest and start running to huge holes in the ground and squat in them. The remaining mobile suits cover back the snow, burying their exposed heads and then continue dragging the wrecked mobile suits along with their prisoners to a huge carrier aircraft, which they board with the hulks and wait. Lt Simmons hears gunfire and then it stops, replaced by the howl of the snowstorm. Fifteen minutes later, the other mobile suits return and the aircraft lifts off for an unknown destination.

**Siberian Plains**

**Russia**

**Republic of East Asia**

Lieutenant Kravchenko leads his squad of 5 Dagger Ls across the plain of Siberia, on what was probably a fools errand. A villager had come running to his base claiming that he had seen mobile suits. If there were any mobile suits in this area, they would be OMNI troops, but cross-checks with the various bases had found no OMNI forces active outside of their bases.

The villager probably just hoped to make a quick buck and came up with a hoax. That was the first thing that had come in his mind and even made it a point to tell his commanding officer so. Still he had been ordered to jump out of a carrier aircraft and check it out and so here they were trudging through the thick snow-covered plain on a wild goose chase in the middle of a storm.

"Hey Lieutenant! You sure we're at the right place? I can't see shit through this storm!" Cried Sergeant Kutusov.

"Yes we're in the right place! Now shut up!" Replied an irritated Kravchenko.

Another pilot snorted over the radio, "Even if we could see, we wouldn't find anything because there isn't anything!"

Kravchenko just kept going, giving up on shutting his comrades up when his mobile suit struck something, sending it flying a tens of metres and almost tripping his mobile suit.

Regaining his balance, he cursed and trudged over to the object and examined it.

"What is it?" asked Kutusov

Lt K:" An arm, a mobile suit arm"

Sgt K:" How.."

Lt k:" I don't know, but I don't like it. Stay alert men"

Acknowledgements came in and the squad warily fanned out slightly, looking for anymore clues.

Lt Kravchenko's squad had advanced 6km when their radars pick up heat signatures ahead.

"Multiple heat sources dead ahead. They're very close.", reported Sgt Kutusov

Lt K:" I don't see..."

He never finishes his sentence as ten Jucargs burst from beneath the ground, showering the air in front of them with a wall of snow and open fire.


	6. Chapter 5

**CE76**

**OMNI Military Base**

**Rhineland**

**Central Europe**

Yzak slammed his laptop shut and exhaled deeply. Finally that damned report was done and he could get some rest. Glancing at the clock hung on the wall, he got up from his seat, feeling the cramps that had spread from his butt to his legs.

Taking awkward steps to the door, Yzak left his office and headed down the corridor, returning the salutes of lower ranked OMNI personnel along the way.

Finally, he reached Shiho's quarters and rapped his knuckles on the door. Shiho opened the door and let him through.

"If I ever have to another of those reports..." groaned Yzak.

Shiho laughed, it wasn't everyday Yzak had something to moan about.

Shiho:" You signed up for this."

Y:" Woman... don't remind me!"

Shiho laughed again before leaning her head on his shoulder. Yzak smiled and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist. Neither spake a word, just wanting to enjoy the moment while they could. Time flew by, but neither moved as they gradually fell asleep beside each other. 

**CE76**

**Unknown subterranean location**

**Russia**

**Eastern Europe**

Lt Simmons woke up to the sound of a door swinging open. After their capture, Lt Simmons and his men had been dragged by soldiers in full combat gear, faces covered by balaclavas.

Despite demands for the unknown hostiles to identify themselves, their captors had ignored them as they were dragged to prison cells.

Sgt Pavlov had tried to resist, inspiring the others to do the same. However, it was short lived as one of the guards simply smashed his teeth and rib age with his rifle butt. Any hopes of resistance ended at that moment.

A shadow played itself across the wall, heralding the arrival of one of the guards. Three of them appeared, unlocking the gate of Lt Simmons's cell. One of them blindfolded him and two of them dragged him out by the armpit. Their journey seemed to go on forever, passing through several corridors, stairs and descending elevators. Simmons found himself unable to trace the route mentally as it was just too long.

Finally, a door was unlocked and he was led in and sat down on a chair. One of the guards removed the blindfold and Simmons found himself in an interrogation room. Guards were present at all corners of the room and one of them sat across the table from him, in full combat gear and he also wore a balaclava like the rest.

What was it with these people that they wore bulletproof vests and helmets even in their own base?, though Simmons. It wasn't as if they were under imminent attack.

The guard across looked at him coldly and lifted his pen.

"Name, rank and unit.", spat the guard.

Lt Simmons:" Lt Simmons Gregorovich and that's all I'm saying."

Simmons's head snapped to the side as he flew off the chair on to the floor. Before he could recover from the blow, the guard responsible dragged and slammed him back into his seat.

Guard:" Unit"

Lt S:" Blue Cosmos."

The guard beside him slammed his rifle butt into him again. Simmons doubled over in pain.

Lt S:" What the hell is wrong with you?! I told you what you wanted to hear from me!"

G:" Obviously you're Blue Cosmos. So is almost everyone in the Atlantic Federation's armed forces." What's your unit? You do not wear a uniform which means you're probably special ops. Which one?"

Simmons looked at him, confused. Why did this man think he was in OMNI?

Lt S:" I'm not in any special ops unit. I'm just a Blue Cosmos operative."

G:" Blue Cosmos paramilitary then?"

Lt S:" Yes."

G:" Tell me what you know of OMNI and Blue Cosmos paramilitary unit positions"

Lt S:" I don't know anything about that."

The rifle butt slammed into his gut again.

Lt S:" Damn it! Stop hitting me for things I don't know about!"

G:" Don't waste our time, give me your positions."

Lt S:" I don't know!"

The interrogation guard hissed in irritation and changed the subject.

G:" What does the Earth Alliance and Blue Cosmos know about us? How many of our bases have you found?"

Lt S:" I don't even know who you guys are!"

G:" What was your mission? To find on of our bases?"

Lt S:" No. I was sent to attack a power plant to pressure OMNI forces here."

Lt Simmons was hit again.

G:" Stop lying. We know about your propaganda campaign to deceive us. Your story about the Earth Alliance fighting Blue Cosmos isn't working."

Lt Simmons was lost. What age were these guys living in?

Lt S:" Its the truth."

The guard had had enough.

G:" Take him down to the labs." 

**CE76**

**Unknown subterranean location**

**Russia**

**Eastern Europe**

Dragging a half dead Lt Simmons down to the lower levels, the guards entered a giant room filled with tanks. Looking up, Lt Simmons found row upon row of more tanks lining up the walls all the way up to the tiny black spot that was the ceiling. There were humans in those tanks, suspended in a fluid of some sort and many wore respiratory masks. Some were fully grown men, others children or fetuses. Curiously, some of the figures in the tanks looked familiar.

The guards laid Lt Simmons on an operating table and chained him down to it. One of the scientists came up to him, clothed in the regalia of a surgeon. The scientist whipped out a tablet and keyed in a command. Moments later, a scanner above the operating table brought up a detailed report of his physical condition on the tablet screen. Satisfied, the scientist attached a sort of wireless handset to his right ear. Lt Simmons looked to his left and saw a man in a tank. Squinting his eyes, Simmons tried to identify the familiar figure within.

As his memory kicked in, Lt Simmons's eyes widened. It was Sgt Pavlov. But that was not what horrified him. Sgt Pavlov wasn't just in that tank, he was also in the one beside him. Simmons blinked his eyes to clear the hallucination, but the image never changed. Sgt Pavlov was no longer an individual and realization dawned on Simmons.

The people in the tanks before were his team... and their clones. Simmons looked at the scientist in panic and outright anger.

Lt S:" What have you done to my men? What are you doing to me!"

The scientist looked up at him before returning his gaze to the tablet.

Lt S:" What atrocities have you committed against my men?"

The scientist ignored him and before Lt Simmons could speak again, he tapped the tablet screen once. Lt Simmons screamed in agony as a electric shock starting from his right ear spread to his body, jerking it spasmodically. The device on his right ear melted and molten metal entered his blood stream through two injectors piercing his flesh. Veins appeared across his face as the molten metal travelled through his face and all the way up to his brain.

Once the molten metal had spread to the different parts of his brain, it solidified and established a connection with a mind control network, stripping away Lt Simmons's free will and wiping away all of his memories. Combat protocols and doctrines were implanted in his brain along with Zeonic psychological indoctrination. Within 3 minutes, Lt Simmons, like the rest of his men was no more.

The scientist and a few orderlies carried the newly converted slave soldier that was once Lt Simmons and placed him in a stasis tank like his men, joining many other men from the remnants of ZAFT personnel left behind during the first war, who had voluntarily given their lives for the cause of Zeon, ready to be cloned. 

**CE76**

**Sacremento Mountains**

**34km from Holloman Air Force Base**

**New Mexico**

**USA**

The Sacremento Mountain range in New Mexico were famous for hiking and its beauty. Unbeknownst to the world, a secret Zeon base lay underneath the mountains. Ventilation shafts were cleverly hidden in the faces of cliffs and the outer surfaces of giant steel blast doors were covered by layers of natural rock formation. One of these blast doors opened now, revealing the runway like a beast opening its gaping maw. Klaxons blared and lights along the runway lit up. Within the mountain past the runway lay the air base.

Constructed after the base below the mountain range was completed, the airbase was one of many hidden in the mountains. With the movement of the Axis and Neo Zeon fleets, it was only a matter of time before the Earth Alliance knew about the invasion. OMNI's deep space and orbiting satellites would give them advanced warning of any approaching force beforehand. It was therefore imperative that their eyes and ears were taken out of the equation if the invasion was to maintain the element of surprise.

To accomplish this, the 033rd special operations mobile suit regiment had been tasked with a daring mission. The same team now sat in the cockpits of their RGM-79LV Nightseeker II GMs, waiting for their VolPHAU transports to launch.

The Nightseeker II GM was a specialized special operations mobile suit derived from the RGM-79 GM, one of Zeon's mainstay mobile suits. With its improved sensor suite and low heat signature, it stood a good chance of infiltrating or surprising an enemy strongpoint unnoticed. For further camouflaging purposes, the white of their suits were painted grey to match the black of their thruster packs on their torsos and their enhanced visors.

Despite having a huge force for the invasion, high command was not taking any chances. The fleets had to get as close as they could before being discovered if a long drawn out battle was to be avoided. As such, it now fell to the 033rd SpecOps MS Regiment to disable the space surveillance network of OMNI.

The men of the 033rd SpecOps MS Regiment knew what was at stake and that all eyes were on them now. Across the world, the men and women of Zeon waited anxiously for word of the operation's outcome. As the launch clearance lights above the runway turned green, the VolPHAU transports launched out of the mountain and turned towards their destination.

The VolPHAU transports of the 033rd were also special variants of the original transports. With improved sensors, a full ECM suite, stealth and mirage colloid generators, the specialized transports were the 033rd's best bet at getting to their target undetected. Once the transports had cleared the runway, the mirage colloid generators were engaged to prevent detection by roaming civilians.

As soon as they flew above the mountains, the Electronic Countermeasures Officers engaged their stealth generators and monitored their screens for enemy interceptor and radar activity. While the mirage colloid generators hid the planes from visual sight, it also generated an electromagnetic field that distorted incoming radar signals, which would then be absorbed by the specially coated surface of the transports, thereby cloaking the planes from radar view. This same system was used by the Blitz Gundam during the First Bloody Valentine War, but this was a smaller and simplified version necessary for the uncomplex and comparatively small aircraft. While it could be cloaked from radards and visual sight, the nature of landing an aircraft sometimes required controllers on the ground to see the aircraft and as such either the visual or anti-radar cloaking could be turned off individually. As a result of its simplified components, the system did not work as effectively as the original and thus there was a chance that they would be detected.

The transports ascended up to the skies, masking the noise of their engines from the unsuspecting world below. 

**CE76**

**Holloman Air Force Base**

**Alamogordo**

**New Mexico**

**USA**

Holloman Air Force Base was anything but isolated. Built within the city of Alamogordo, the base was home to OMNI's 4th Space Control Squadron (SPCRS), a part of the 21st Space Wing and a major player in the space surveillance network. Providing real-time data on movements across the world and in space, the 4th SPRCS was responsible for the safety of the Atlantic Federation mainland. Despite being a high security base, the fact that it was surrounded by the city meant that security focused more on espionage rather than conventional attacks. Mobile suits and tanks within the base were powered down in their hangars and infantrymen slept peacefully in their bunks.

The base, filled with defence forces was considered to be well protected, but the 033rd would soon show how unprepared they were.

The VolPHAU transports flew high above the city, ECM officers nervously watching fighters and radar signals on their screens, praying that their mirage colloid system wouldn't fail.

10 minutes to the base, the transports flew just above the skyscrapers in preparation for their drop operation. Flying above the city, the base was now in sight, the pilots tensed as they drew closer. 500m out, a shrill tone resounded within the cockpits of the aircraft. They had been picked up by radars.

The ECM officers worked fast, jamming the base's communication network, radars and tracing their locations before passing the information to the mobile suit teams. Pilots dropped to nap-of-the earth altitude as per the emergency plan, a high altitude drop no longer viable with their detection.

The mobile suit pilots made last minute checks and moved to the cargo ramp, ready to jump out. The base personnel had not yet truly figured out what was going on, not believing that they could be under attack. Radar specialists attempted to dial up their signals and conduct diagnostic checks to eliminate the interference. No alert had been issued yet, and men strolled the base as if it were any other day, mistaking the incoming flight of transports that had turned off the visual cloaking function of the mirage colloid generators as one of theirs.

Roaring right over the base, the lights in the cargo bay turned from amber to green and the 033rd SpecOps MS Regiment jumped out, thrusters igniting to soften their landing. Landing all across the base, the 033rd didn't waste time, firing first at the pre designated radars and then at any combat equipment lying around that could be used against them. Men and women screamed as the unthinkable happened. They were under attack.

Some of the Night seekers attacked the defence force's hangars, destroying any mobile suits or tanks within. Others went on a rampage across the airfield, taking out aircraft before they could launch and securing the airstrip.

Two mobile suit teams went straight for the satellite network centre, one of them dismounting and entering the facility. Storming their way through the building, the men made short work of any guards or personnel and cleared the rooms one by one in search of their prize. Finally, they found the very object of their mission, a small black box that held the key to the invasion's success. Grabbing the Attack characterization Module, the men ran for the Satellite Surveillance control room, where the 04th Space Control Squadron monitored the country for threats on earth and in space. Attaching cables to the ACS module, the men downloaded the entire satellite network into it as others set up explosives on all the important equipment to cover their tracks.

The team left the building and entered their mobile suits once more, triggering the explosives and thus destroying any evidence if their handiwork. Several Nightseekers with bazookas fired at the lower quarter of the building, causing the building to collapse on itself.

All around the base, other important military buildings were collapsed as well to give the impression that the objective was to destroy the base's offensive and surveillance capabilities and mask their true intentions. The 033rd now initiated their egress, making a run for the airstrip, where their transports were landing. While the attack took place, the transports had not been idle, continuing to watch the fighters for any sign of an alert being raised. None deviated from their routes, thanks to the constant jamming of the base's communications and the fighter radars. As soon as the pilots received word that the ACS module had been secured with the necessary data, they had set a course taking them on an approach path to the airstrip and circled while waiting for the time to extract the mobile suits. When the teams sent word of their egress, the pilots set course for a landing approach and spaced themselves far apart in a staggered manner for the planes to land as soon as one had finished loading and left. The first team up was the one with the ACS module, prioritized above all. As soon as the last mobile suit entered into the cargo bay, the pilots took off down the runway and closed their cargo ramps during takeoff as another landed, recovering the next team.

Within the space of half an hour, the 033rd had secured their objectives and broke the myth of security of Holloman Air force base. The transports flew off into the dark of the night, activating their mirage colloid fields fully once more. The 033rd celebrated their victory within the transports, Mobile suit and aircraft pilots alike yelling whoops of joy, knowing that they had made history. 

**CE76**

**12km off Naval Base Guam**

**Western Pacific Ocean**

While the 033rd Special Operations Mobile Suit Regiment raided Holloman Airbase in New Mexico, another unit prepared its own operation to secure Zeonic naval superiority and surprise.

Ten Vosgulov-class submarines prowled the seabed of the pacific ocean, weaving through the narrow valleys of the ocean bed to avoid detection. Vessels of the 2nd Strike fleet, the submarines had left their Pacific Ocean bed base just three hours ago on a course for the OMNI naval base on Guam.

While the submarines had made it through the surveillance network unnoticed, their captains weren't taking any chances. OMNI warships prowled the high seas along with underwater mobile suits, protecting vital installations like Guam from enemy attack. Surprise was the key to victory.

Within the launch hangars of the submarines, the mobile suit pilots of the 7th Naval Special Operations Mobile Suit Regiment and the 8th Independent Tactical Air Squadron waited beside their mobile suits. Zee Zulus and Juaggus stood rigidly at attention, awaiting their pilots to bring them into the maelstrom of battle.

The Zee Zulu was a naval version of the Geara Zulu, featuring ballast tanks, fins, and hydro jets for water propulsion. Boasting an impressive array of weaponry from heat claws and knives that could shred any mobile suit to pieces to a beam machine gun, the Zee Zulu was a fearsome mobile suit on land and under the sea. For these reasons, the Zee Zulu was well favoured by the Zeonic Naval Marines and the Naval Special Operations forces. Given their mission, the Zee Zulu was definitely the mobile suit for the job.

The Juaggu was an assault amphibious mobile suit like the Zee Zulu, albeit without hands. Instead it had three Vulcan cannon fingers on each arm, complemented with four mega particle cannons on its torso all of which were capable of tearing mobile suits to shreds. With its massive and rapid fire cannons, the Juaggu was an ideal heavy fire support unit for amphibious units, capable of laying down suppressive fire on the enemy while others advanced.

The 08th Independent Tactical Air Squadron was present in this operation as air support for the naval teams if things got too hot for them to handle. Their DINNs would provide perfect aerial cover should the situation get out of hand. Commanders prayed that they would not have to call them in. But both teams were still too far out to be deployed unnoticed, so until then all they could do was wait. 

**CE76**

**Naval Base Guam**

**Guam**

**Western Pacific Ocean**

The OMNI naval base on Guam was a vital asset in the pacific SOSUS network, safeguarding a huge swathe of ocean in OMNI's pacific theatre from attack. Any attack up against the naval bases on the mainland and the pacific fleet anchored at Hawaii would be detected by the Guam naval base long before their attack had commenced. Protected by the pacific fleet, there was not much for the OMNI personnel on Guam to fear. None could come close to Guam, or so they thought. 

**CE76**

**6km off Naval Base Guam**

**Western Pacific Ocean**

Throughout the small fleet of Vosgulovs, captains gave orders on the intercom for the mobile suit pilots to man their stations. Pilots scrambled from their seats and jumped into their cockpits, mobile suits coming to life. As soon as the 7th Naval Special Operations Mobile Suit Regiment reported that they were ready, captains gave the order for the underwater hangars to be flooded. Hatches to the ocean beyond opened, revealing the mobile suits within, ready to launch. At a given command from the flagship, thirty Zee Zulus and ten Juaggus launched out into the sea, heading towards the Guam naval base.

The forty mobile suits spread out as they entered the harbour, hydrofoils at minimum power to pass under anchored or moving ships silently. Then, the Zee Zulus found their first obstacles. Forbidden Vortex mobile suits swam under the ocean to protect the harbour. A mass produced version of the forbidden Gundam and the successor of the Deep Forbidden mobile suit, it was produced to counter Z.A. underwater mobile suits like the GOOhn and ZnO. Their Geschmeidig Panzer energy deflection armor rendered beam attacks useless and had fearsome weapons. Their maser cannons, torpedoes, built in scythes on their shields and tridents made them fearsome opponents, as many Z.A.F.T pilots found out. The Forbidden series of mobile suits proved formidable in battle, being more than a match for Z.A.F.T mobile suits.

As expected, a few of the mobile suits guarded the approaches to the docks and the SOSUS surveillance centre beyond. The Zee Zulus slowly crept up to the flight of Forbidden Vortexes from below, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. 

**CE76**

**20m from the dry docks**

**Naval Base Guam**

**Western Pacific Ocean**

Lieutenant Linda Jackson of the 6th Naval Mobile Suit Team brought her flight of five Forbidden Vortexes to the approaches of the docks, the start of their patrol route. Born to a family of military lineage in California, her father had been a naval captain of an Arkansas-Class Cruiser in the First Bloody Valentine War while her uncle had been a pilot of a Deep Forbidden mobile suit. Unlike her father, she felt the need for complete control and as such had chosen the route of a naval mobile suit pilot like her uncle before her.

Compared to other officers, her military career was rather lacklustre. She had participated in the battle for Rhode Island, where OMNI had taken on the Blue Cosmos insurgents who had turned the island into a fortress in a titanic clash. The battle at sea had lasted just 4 days, but it had been just as fierce and brutal as the land battle that followed. Naval mobile suits had clashed underwater, the skill of the Blue Cosmos pilots and their knowledge of the terrain aiding them in holding back OMNI's forces. Casualties had been severe for both sides. Lt Linda herself had downed seven mobile suits during the battle. Six weeks after the battle began, the Blue Cosmos forces were finally defeated, but at a huge cost.

Leading her Forbidden Vortexes to the waters beyond, Lt Linda began their patrol. Not there was anything to defend against really. The Blue Cosmos had been quiet in the sea, placing their focus on holding their land bases.

"Lt Linda, I thought I saw something ahead of me", warned Petty Officer Moore.

Lt Linda frowned. Her pilots were still rookies and often got confused with the nature of underwater combat.

Lt Linda: "Its probably just a shadow of one of our ships, if not its one of our submarines."

" I don't think...", Lt Moore never finished his sentence. From below the flight of Forbidden Vortexes, Zee Zulus sprung up and attacked. The first one came up behind Lt Moore, mono-eye glaring with murderous intent and plunged its heat dagger right over his suit's shoulder into his cockpit.

Lt Linda looked on in horror as Lt Moore's suit lifelessly sank to the bottom of the ocean. Four other assailants attacked Lt Linda and her squad, and Lt Linda shook herself from her stupor. Combat reflexes kicked in and Lt Linda jerked her mobile suit to the left as a Zee Zulu rushed her from below and swiped its dagger right where she had been. Reacting quickly, Lt Linda swung her trident in a wide arc, knocking the dagger out of the Zee Zulu's hand and made a thrust midsection. The Zee Zulu pilot was just as fast, swiping its heat claw at her trident and deflecting the blow before charging in within her guard.

Lt Linda pushed her suit backwards and transformed it into its high speed assault form, unsheathing her shield scythes and swinging them left and right to keep the Zee Zulu away. The Zee Zulu simply matched blow for blow with its heat claws, undaunted by the display of weaponry. Lt Linda fired her photon maser cannon on her backpack, the shot charging for a brief second before unleashing a red beam. The Zee Zulu pilot was quick, dodging his suit out of the way from certain destruction. Lt Linda cursed at the pilot's quick reflexes that had saved him, although he had lost his left heat claws and a large gash travelled up his left arm.

Lt Linda thrust her trident again, missing the Zee Zulu as it shifted right and suddenly launched itself at her. Lt Linda swiped her left scythe shield at it, but the Zee Zulu smacked it aside with its heat claws and continued its charge, barrelling into her suit. Lt Linda's Forbidden Vortex was knocked back and the Zee Zulu charged in for the finishing blow. Lt Linda fired her photon maser cannon and a stream of torpedoes at it in desperation. The Zee Zulu made a dash below her and came up behind her. Lt Linda spun around and brought up her shields just in time to block the Zee Zulu's heat claws. To her left she could see Petty Officer Harrelson's suit sliced in half by heat claws. Too panicked to do so earlier, Lt Linda radioed the base as she deflected the incoming blows. So engrossed was she in alerting the base and blocking the Zee Zulu's blows that she did not see another come up behind her and plunge its heat claws straight into her cockpit.

No longer having the element of surprise, the Zeon mobile suits rushed their objectives in an attempt to complete their mission. 

**CE76**

**Guam Naval Command Headquarters**

**Naval Base Guam**

**Guam**

Back in the control room of Guam Naval Command Headquarters, a communications officer yawned in his seat as he stretched his legs, waiting for the next shift to take over him and his men. Life sure was peaceful on this island, other than the communication between the ships and the command centre. Suddenly, an urgent and desperate voice burst through his headset.

Lt Linda: "This is Lt Linda, 06th Naval Mobile Suit Team! We are under attack! Guam is under attack! I repeat! Guam is under ..."

The line went dead, but the words she had shouted didn't die out in the heads of the communications officer and his crew. The officer slammed the alert button and contacted his superiors, tracing Lt Linda's last known position in an attempt to locate the enemy forces.

Throughout Guam Naval Base and the seas under the immediate aegis of her protection, navy personnel rushed to their ships and stations as the klaxons and explosions throughout Guam sounded the unmistakable and impossible... Naval Base Guam was under attack. 

**CE76**

**Naval Base Guam**

**Guam**

They came out of nowhere, mobile suits jumping out of the water and attacking any target close by. Ships on the move or sitting at port exploded as Zee Zulus slammed their heat claws through their vulnerable undersides or fired their beam machine guns from land. Taking a few swipes at towers or turrets that made up the dock defences, the Zee Zulus detached their rifle pods and slammed them into the ground, the impacts registering in the pod sensors and opening to give access to the beam machine guns.

Carnage ensued as the Zee Zulus and Juaggus fired their weapons all over the place, destroying turrets, ships and mobile suits. Under the cover of the suppressive fire put up by other squads of Zee Zulus and Juaggus, one team charged the headquarters itself. Windams and Dagger Ls charged the protective cordon the Zee Zulus and Juaggus put up, hiding behind whatever cover they could find.

Two Windams jumped across thirty five metres from a Juaggu, beam rifles blasting away inaccurately from the rapidity of their jump. But the Juaggu simply held its ground blatantly out in the open as the beam shots blasted chunks of road or buildings next to it. Landing hard on the ground, the Windams brought their shields up and took aim, preparing to destroy the heavy support unit. The Juaggu simply raised its Vulcan cannon fingers and fired a steady but ferocious stream of cannon shells straight at them. The windams were knocked back as the rounds battered their shields and finally penetrated through to their torsos and legs, blowing both up in bright fireballs as their reactors detonated.

A Dagger L attempted to charge the Juaggu from the right as the Windams caught its attention, but the Juaggu turned its torso and fired its four mega particle cannons, dissecting the Dagger. On the opposite street, A Windam was blown apart by a stream of beam bullets from a Zee Zulu firing from behind the cover of a building. All around the base, the same scene was repeated, Zee Zulus holding their lines well behind cover and expertly taking out enemy forces attempting to assail them while Juaggus laid down monstrous suppressive fire that kept good portions of the enemy back or laid waste to entire squads of mobile suits outright.

Ships blew up as some of the mobile suits fired at them, preventing their use to counterattack and repel the assault. Still, the battle could not last long in Zeon's favour, soon fighters and aerial mobile suits from Guam's airbase further inland would give OMNI air superiority and if that happened, the tide would turn against the Zeon forces. Already, their positions were being shelled by artillery and mobile suits equipped with Doppelhorn striker packs, intent on destroying their cover.

The assault team had already fought its way to the headquarters and entered the building, covered by another team. The building was filled with guards albeit stunned by the attack to react quickly. The Zeon pilots moved fast, knowing that they had limited time. Crashing through the control room, the pilots executed the personnel within with precise shots, careful not to harm the equipment. One of the pilots jammed wires from a sonar box into a terminal and started downloading data of the SOSUS network from the mainframe.

As the download began, other pilots took up defensive positions or went about setting explosives on the equipment. As soon as the download finished, the box was yanked from the wires and the pilots sprinted out of the building, shooting any stragglers they found. Busting out the front door, they came to the sight of a Zee Zulu slamming a handful of heat claws straight into a Windams gut, narrowly avoiding its beam saber swinging in a downward cut. Already, Windams with jet striker packs were already in the fight, launching missiles or beam shots at the Zeon mobile suits.

Scrambling into the cockpits, the pilots triggered the explosives, destroying the mainframe and turned their mobile suit weapons on the base of the building. The headquarters of Naval Base Guam, the symbol of OMNI's stature and power in the Western Pacific Ocean, collapsed in on itself as its supports failed. Radioing their comrades, the assault team and its cover squad dashed for the sea, firing at any hostile units or even buildings just to create a scene of mayhem to deceive the enemy of their true objectives.

Throughout the operation, Zeon mobile suits destroyed ships, hangars and any military building or equipment essential for the base's defence or offensive operations to create the illusion that the mission was to neutralize the base's threat and thus OMNI's military power in the region. As the assault team made its exit and radioed their success, the cover squads began a withdrawal to the sea, jumping into the water squad by squad. As the last squad jumped in, a tank round blew off a Zee Zulu's leg, forcing it to crash face first into the water. Another Zee Zulu grabbed it by the armpit and dragged it underwater under cover of a Juaggu, which kept the enemy forces back with a barrage of cannon fire.

The mobile suits raced back to their Vosgulovs outside the harbour unchallenged, the majority of OMNI's mighty warships nearby having been disabled or destroyed. Recovering the last of the mobile suits, the Vosgulovs turned about and sped away as fast as they could. Behind them, Naval Base Guam burned. 

**22km away from Guam strike force, 2****nd**** Strike Fleet**

**Western Pacific Ocean**

News of the attack reached the warships out at sea away from Guam as soon as the alert had been sounded. These warships were out at sea on patrol duties, and now they turned back towards the base in an attempt to reinforce and defend it. If they could get there fast enough, they could catch the enemy from behind and surround them. But Zeon had already prepared for this eventuality. Vosgulov, Mad Angler and Jukon class submarines were positioned to provide a cordon around Guam, ensuring that any enemy vessel would be detected. These submarines that had been shadowing the enemy ships now played their part in the operation, either launching aquatic mobile suits such as Z'goks, Z'gok Es, Zaku Mariners, ZnOs, and GOOhns or firing torpedoes themselves to attack the enemy ships. Torpedoes blew holes in ships below the waterline, ensuring their demise. Claws ripped gashes underneath ships and beam fire detonated ammunition magazines aboard. Enemy submarines fared no better, mobile suits easily outmanoeuvring and outfighting them on every front.

Still, a single flotilla of Fraser frigates and two Spengler aircraft carriers managed to slip through, inadvertently blocking the strike fleets escape route in waters without reefs or natural rock formations to mask their escape. The ships were well-armed for anti-submarine warfare, but the most feared of all were their complement of anti-submarine helicopters capable of sinking the submarines with well-placed torpedoes and the enemy naval mobile suits that would put up a fierce fight. There was no choice, the Vosgulovs surfaced and launched their mobile suits under the cover of a hail of missiles. The DINNs of the 08th Independent Tactical Air Squadron launched up into the air from their vertical launch bays, ready to take on the fighters and helicopters of the opposing fleet. Below the water, the amphibious mobile suits once again sallied out for battle, tired as their pilots were and mobile suit power perhaps just enough for the fight.

The enemy fleet put up a hail of CIWS fire against the wall of missiles, destroying a great many of them. Still, two frigates were hit but not downed. In the air, the DINNs slammed into the wall of fighters and Jet Striker Windams, skilfully avoiding the enemy missile barrage and engaging in dogfights that lit up the sky. The DINN pilots were skilled, taking down the inexperienced crews of the fighters and Windams in droves. Below the ocean, the Zee Zulus and Juaggus, attacked the enemy fleet. Blasting torpedoes with their weapons, the mobile suits returned fire and engaged in close quarters fighting. There were only six Forbidden Vortexes, but now the enemy knew where they were and a constant stream of torpedoes and depth charges were launched, making the battlefield much more hazardous.

Taking potshots at the fleet, the two damaged frigates blew up as several mobile suits hit their mark from below and the DINNS finally got through the enemy air cover, strafing the enemy ships in attack runs. Within fifteen minutes, it was all over. Their mobile suit complement recovered, the Vosgulovs sped to the safety of their waiting fleets and their bases.

All around the world, Zeon bases listened in on the reports from their command centres about the simultaneous operations. Base personnel fidgeted while working uncomfortably, awaiting news of success...or failure. Then, the intercoms came alive, announcing the success of the operations. Soldiers cheered and hugged one another, unable to contain their joy at the success of the first phase of the invasion. Years of waiting had finally paid off, yielding their first real victories in the drive to retake earth from the hands of Blue Cosmos. Soon, the real battle would begin. But the men and women of Zeon were ready. They had been for years.


End file.
